Perseus Jackson's A Divine Comedy: Inferno
by KingRichRock
Summary: With his beloved Annabeth dead, Percy will venture to hell to be by her side again. But in this first book of 3, just how bad is Hell. With Nico by his side, Percy finds out. Set in 1500 A.D., there is a lot of OOC and it's an AU. The inspiration comes from Date's "The Divine Comedy", but this is no lighthearted story. Percy will repent all he has done in order to be with Annabeth.
1. Canto I

**Well all you lovely people reading this, in case you don't know **_**The Divine Comedy**_ **by Dante Alighieri, it's the ultimate tragedy (Comedy only used to describe the vernacular of Dante's day, as a Comedy was written for the common man and a Tragedy was for the wealthy). Anyway, Percy Jackson has lost the love of his life and s wandering without hope for the future. Until the ghost of a familiar "friend" appears. Note: This is AU (no Gods/Demigods known to Percy or anyone alive), OOC, and set in 1500 A.D.**

**Also, characters are Rick Riordan's, and the story is mostly Dante's, with my own add-ons. **

* * *

**Perseus Jackson's: A Divine Comedy**

**Inferno**

**Canto I**

"_The Darkest Places in Hell are reserved for those who maintain neutrality in a time of moral crisis."_

-Dante Alighieri, _The Divine Comedy_

* * *

It has been dark since she died. My Wise girl, the love of my life, dead. Her once loving smile shines no more, her golden hair lost its magnificent gleam from the rays of the stone. Her skin is no longer tanned under the hot Italian sun, but is now pale, the color of death. It has been a year since she died, a year since The War ended, and a year since I was exiled from my home in Florence. I was barred from her funeral, in which all of Florence, and Kings, Queens, Doges, and other rulers of this Italian State have been invited, yet I, her lover, were barred as a common drunkard and a thief. My God has indeed punished me for my actions in the years of my courtship to her, but I had repeated but no help or guidance has been brought to me. I believe the end of my days is near, whether it be me choosing it or my enemies. But my days are numbered. And without a companion aside from my own delirious mind, dampened with unspoken and pent-up emotions since her death, began to trudge into this forest with no hopes of emerging at the other side alive.

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_Several Days Pass:_

It has been indeed unbearably hot and humid during my days of travel through this forest, and unimaginably cold during the nights in which I struggled to avoid Gods vengeful punishment for my many sins and attempt to rest. But the rest never truly comes, as I always have nightmares of her; and of my friends whom I left behind. I dream of Piper, whom I left to drown following the death of her lover. I dream of Jason, of whom I left crushed under the weight of the tower at the Palazzo Vecchio during the revolution to usurp the Medici; of course, it failed. I dream of sweet little Hazel, who I left to be trampled by the horses that had been released in order to cause havoc in the Piazza della Signoria while we attempted to kill the Medici family; she died because I didn't warn her to leave the stables that day. And I dream of the brothers Stoll, whom I sold out to avoid execution by the Medici court. So many dead by my inactions, so many dead because I failed to act. Ironically, I was following the words of the Medici courts mastermind, Niccolo Machiavelli.

"_I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it."_

But alas, my cause was not noble enough I assume. But to be banished from the city I love stung only slightly less than never being allowed to see the woman I loved.

My beautiful angel, Annabeth, was dead. I remember the first day I saw her in the Church, her beautiful golden curls that frames her heavenly smile, and the gray eyes, both startling and intimidating that made her intelligence visible, almost palpable. And as the years went on, and I had finally met her, I learned she was much wiser and intelligent than me or any other man (educated or not) that I had come across in my life. She was so beautiful, so intelligent, and so kind, yet intimidating as well. She scared the daylights out of me before our courtship began, with her dagger throwing trick and her misdirections. But I had conquered her games and had won her heart. But then the Stolls came to me with a request on the behalf of Lord Lucas Castellan, and as the son of a merchant, he felt obligated to fulfill the request. And so they planned of Revolution.

But the day came where Lucas Castellan married the beautiful Annabeth Chace. My Annabeth. And when I staged my own Revolution, against him and the Medici, he killed her. And in this period of 40 minutes, I lost everything that had mattered to me:

My lovely Annabeth

My closest friends

My city

and

all my name having been shunned

through all of Italy.

But now I am in this forest, my own personal nightmare from which there is no escape, except in death.

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_The Next Day at Daybreak, with the moon falling and the Sun Rising:_

I awoke to the howl of a wolf and the roar of lions. But they were nearly simultaneous, very odd. And VERY out of place. The wolf I could understand, but the lions should be back on the continent across the Mare Nostrum. And as they stepped into the clearing from which I had created my safe haven the night before, I began to back away. All three beasts were greater in size than me alone, and even if I had the rest of my soldiers, it would have been a great battle; but this was only me with Anaklusmos, so I feel the odds are not in my favor for this battle. So I chose to run.

And I ran for many hours, past the point where I cried from the point of my legs being exhausted, past the point of my lungs wheezing, and past the point of any hope that I would die in any way but as a snack for these beasts. And I come to another point of realization before these beasts are upon me to devour me.

_There is no possible salvation from which pain i am about to endure. I will enter the deepest rings of Hell for my sins, despite how much I repent. But another thing, since I began avoiding these Hellish beasts, the light has dimmed, and the foliage has died. Where have I gone to die God?_

But as quickly as this question was in my mind and I had chosen my Saints to pray to for mercy, and for hope i could ever get a message of my love to Annabeth in death despite her residing in the most pristine palace in Gods Heaven and I in the deepest rings of Hell alongside Satan. But as I had these fleeting thoughts of Annabeth, and of my friends who I had damned in this life and I hoped would hear my apologies as I resided in Hell, a brilliant and blinding light flashed from the air before me. And from it stepped three woman. Three beautiful women adorned in robes so white the hurt to gaze upon.

They were Mary Mother of Jesus, Saint Lucia, and my Annabeth. They protected me from the great beasts and without hesitation, the beasts fled from their almighty glory, and I was compelled to kneel before them. And then Mary spoke to me.

"Dear boy of twenty-five, whom is a follower in my one and only son, why are you here in the accursed forest. Have you not a home to dwell in?" Mother Mary asked, yet I could tell in her tone she already knew the answer.

"Mother Mary, I have no home anymore. I lost that privilege after a failed unrighteous Revolution against the Medici, upon which I was exiled and my dearest Annabeth was taken from me." I said with sorrow in my voice.

"Ah my child, I feel you have a pure heart, despite the misfortunes that have found you. Me and my sisters have a task for you to become clean before the eyes of God. But it will be arduous, painful, disturbing, and is one you will most likely not survive. But the benefits you reap would be the right to ascend to Heaven after your mortal death to receive the righteous benediction from my son and the Father, and you would be with your beloved once again. Perseus Jackson, the choice is yours. Should you accept, close your eyes from the temptation as Saint Lucia did, and you will find your first instructions delivered to you by Angels of your past."

Before I could answer, Annabeth spoke. Her voice as soft and gentle as ever before, she said "Perseus, I pray you chose this option as I have missed you greatly and I know that you have done no true malice. I know the father in Heaven will accept you. After the Angels of days past visit you, your guide shall take you into Satans haven of Hell to test your purity of soul, resistance of temptation, and whether or not Satan can claim you as one of his own. I love you my dearest Perseus, and i hope I will see you in Heaven someday very soon." she concluded, her angelic voice finished speaking, and before I could second guess myself, I turned to Mother Mary.

"Mary Mother of Jesus the Christ, my Lord and savior, I take the closing of my eyes to resemble that of pure sight as was bestowed upon Saint Lucia so I may cleanse my soul to meet with my dearest Annabeth." and with that, I covered my eyes. And I felt the atmosphere change as they left, but I kept my eyes covered.

I waited for a solid minute blinded, able to hear the great beasts of the world around me in this forest, until I feel the arrival of two beings far greater than I.

"Perseus, shield your eyes no more and look upon us.." a familiar voice commands me, and I do so.

Before me are the beautiful faces of Zoe Nightshade and Bianca DiAngelo. I knew both girls, and I am filled with regret for my inability to act.

"Rise Percy my dear" Bianca says sweetly. She was the first person I loved, before my Annabeth, my life had only been for her. But when she wished to go off to the market, I lost sight of her when she ran ahead. She was discovered later in the day having been taken advantage of and murdered. And it was my fault. And that day, while I prayed to God for forgiveness, i saw Annabeth. "I have missed you greatly" Bianca continues, and I realize she is my age despite having died at a young age.

"Oh Bianca this fool is more concerned with why you are his age than why we are here. There is no hope for this swine of a man. Perhaps he belongs amongst Lucifer and the chthonic creatures that adorn his Hell." Zoe said angrily. Same old Zoe, the one who died in the Revolution trying to prevent me from taking the Palace. I killed her with my own blade, and now she's here before me to judge me. Great.

"My dearest Bianca, I have missed you greatly since you were wretched from me on this Earth, but my one true love awaits me in Heaven. Will you and Zoe help me on my journey into Satan's Hell to cleanse myself." I pause seeing a scowl on Zoe's regel face, I continue, "Zoe, I regret murdering you for you were doing what was right while I was wrong. It should be me who had died that day, but now I seek retribution. Will you help me correct all the grievances I have committed upon this Earth for which God who is in Heaven wishes me to cleanse myself of?" I ask her sincerely, and after a bitter moment of debate with herself, she agrees.

"Percy my dear, we will await your arrival in Heaven. Do know that this trip will be difficult. But I have for you a guide into this Inferno of Hell you are about to enter. He was a hero of Rome in the days of their Gods and which Pagans ruled the Empire and i am one of his descendants. You will be familiar with his name, we both admired him as children." she says, smiling sweetly.

And from the shadows emerges the tall and lanky, yet muscular dark haired man with obsidian eyes. While I am still taller and weigh more, this man is more rugged, much paler than I had imagined. And then I remember his name. But before I speak it, he answers for me.

"I am Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades and servant of Pluto. I am trapped in Limbo for not recognizing the One God while I was alive. I am the son of the guardian of the fourth Ring of Hell. And I am here to guide you to your salvation Perseus jackson. Do you accept?" He asks me.

"Yes" I say.

And as we walked towards the entrance of the cave, above the cave, as if it were burned into the rock above, it read "Abandon all hope ye who enter here"

_The things we do for those we love._

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**So this was Canto I. Please Review and Favorite and whatnot. I'd love your feedback. **

**I got Inspired to write this because I finished reading through all of the PJO and HOO books, The Divine Comedy, and Dan Brown's Inferno coming to the conclusion of how great I could make something with these ideas. So here's my attempt at that. Please tell me what you think, and since i just started my summer I should be able to update quickly. **


	2. Canto II

**Well all you lovely people reading this, in case you don't know **_**The Divine Comedy**_ **by Dante Alighieri, it's the ultimate tragedy (Comedy only used to describe the vernacular of Dante's day, as a Comedy was written for the common man and a Tragedy was for the wealthy). Anyway, Percy jackson has lost the love of his life and s wandering without hope for the future. Until the ghost of a familiar "friend" appears. Note: This is AU (no Gods/Demigods known to Percy or anyone alive), OOC, and set in 1500 A.D.**

**Also, characters are Rick Riordans, and the story is mostly Dante's, with my own add-ons. **

* * *

**Perseus Jackson's A Divine Comedy**

**Inferno**

**Canto II**

As we entered the earthly gate of rock, from which the warning glowed a deadly red before we entered, a new sight became present before my unprepared eyes. The violent reds and browns of Hell portrayed by the great artists has nothing on the truly grotesque and macabre horror of Hell itself. The gates of Hell are not what I expected; they are beautiful in a very haunting way, and I imagine that if they were designed to be Hells entrance, than God's entrance into Heaven must be a million times more spectacular. But I will have to first survive Hell to reap the rewards of Heaven, and just from this first glance, it will indeed be a long journey. But before I can take a single step further, Nico puts his arm on my shoulder.

"Perseus, I bid you, please look around and tell me what you see before we enter the Nine Rings of Hell. What do you see?" Nico says eerily, and I feel for the first time shivers travel across my skin from the sights that surround the outside of the gate.

I see the forms of several men, who look like they overindulged in life and did nothing for anyone else. I see those who were neutral in life and never passed a judgement when they should have. I see men like Pontius Pilate, the man who condemned Jesus the Christ to death on the Cross and absolved himself of any role in it. And it seems for this, he, and all the others, are in a perpetual state of greed only to be constantly harassed by hornets and wasps while being consumed alive by maggots for eternity. It is not a pretty sight, but these men all chose to not commit to good nor evil, and so this seems to be their eternal punishment.

I turned to Nico to see a horrifying look of pleasure and sadism across his face before he reverts to his stoney face. "Nico, these men did no great evil nor great good. This is where they rest, amongst the fallen angels who either lost or did not fight in Lucifer's Rebellion against God." I said, almost as question hoping I had guessed correctly.

Nico gave me a curt nod before he faced away from me and spoke quietly. "This is not where you would have rested Perseus, but you have absolved yourself of being uncommitted and are now an active part of this journey to salvation from the Lord. Perhaps a prayer for guidance and protection is in order Perseus, for it may be the offering the Lord wishes to receive.

I cleared my throat and began pulling my years of church schooling to remember how lousy I had been in my formal education, but I recalled the prayer we said every single day, it came from the Book of Mark.

"_Our Father in Heaven,_

_hallowed be your name._

_Your kingdom come,_

_your will be done,_

_on earth, as it is in Heaven._

_Give us this day our daily bread,_

_and forgive us our debts,_

_as we also have forgiven our debtors._

_And lead us not into temptation,_

_but deliver us from evil._

_Amen"_

Nico smiled at me, and then grabs his pitch black sword from his back, and I draw Anaklusmos from its sheath and hold it in my standard, orthodox manner. But Nico does something unexpected. He slams his great sword of darkness into the stone we stood upon outside the Gates of Hell, but instead of shattering, it sank clean into the stone, and a blinding white light emerged from it. Nico stood tall, and then bowed.

"My Lord, our Guardian Angels, I prepare to take Perseus into the depths of Hell. Please be a strong guide to help me lead him from temptation and deliver him to you. Amen." He says, and with a flash all the light is gone, and me and Nico are standing again in the perpetual darkness of Hell together. And in this moment I had never realized just how lonely this journey would be without Nico.

"Thank you Nico, I'm certain the Lord has heard your prayer, and I feel truly blessed that Bianca chose you to guide me." I said kindly and sincerely, but Nico just scoffed and scolded lightly before facing the gates of Hell.

"Perseus Jackson, as you are a living mortal, you must speak the sacred lines of text that show you are ready to take this journey to cleanse your soul and to absolve yourself of your many sins and crimes against your fellow people. Do you still wish to accept?" Nico said bitterly, and I never hesitated.

"I accept, Nico DiAngelo, and I deliver the last line of My Lords Prayer upon the gate to show my dedication. _Lead me not unto temptation, but deliver me from evil Lord._" I say loudly to the gates, and they emanate a faint glow of white and red on both sides before they swing open, and Nico smiles. He walks up to me, grabs me around my shoulder like we were old friends.

"Welcome to Hell Perseus Jackson. Abandon All Hope. And just think, we only just passed the Acheron shores, and to enter Hell proper composed of the Nine Rings of Hell, you must be ferried across by Charon, the boatman of Satan and my father, Hades." he says, malice and foreboding emanating from his baritone voice.

"Well Nico, I am ready for Hell. Please deliver me to the ferryman Charon and I will speak to him about letting me across. I am sure you have your own means of getting across?" I say, distrust evident in my voice. He frowns for a second before smiling.

"Well Perseus, all I have to do is tell him I'm going across as I am 1) a dead man and 2) the son of Hades himself. So I'll ferry across with you." He said with sadness in his voice, but we continue on regardless.

We approach the dock upon the Acheron in which a tall man in robes as black as night stands with an oar in his hand that is taller than I by 10 feet, and I stand at an impressive height of 6'2". But then I notice Charon is a skeleton man, but when he speaks, his voice sounds VERY alive.

"Master DiAngelo what is the meaning of this?! He is a living mortal! Should your father or Master Satan discover him here, we will both be eternally damned! How dare you have brought him into Hell! Explain yourself before I send with Cerberus to devour the both of you!" he screamed with passion, probably because his jobs so easy and damnation probably gets worse than sitting on your rear paddling a boat across the Acheron. But Nico returned Charon's eyeless glare with his own of extreme intimidation. And then Nico spoke in Latin.

"Charon, _uolsi così colà dove si puote_" he said, and I translated that in my head to 'So it is wanted there where the power lies'. He is speaking of this being my Divine Journey. I look to Nico and nod appreciatively. Nico pulls out two Denarii and hands them to Charon, who bites them with his skeleton teeth.

"Seems authentic Master DiAngelo. I will ferry you two across the Acheron for this bounty you have paid me. But beware the extreme tortures you'll witness, and the extreme pull death has upon the living. I have done my best to warn you of the dangers of Hell. Young Mr. Jackson, do you wish to travel across the Acheron into the first ring of Hell?" Charon asked me seriously, as if he was truly worried for my safety. Probably more for his Denarii, but the concern was nice in Hell.

I swallowed all my fear and said "Master Charon, ferryman of the dead across the River Acheron which serves as the boundary of Hell Proper, I am ready to journey across." I said.

And then Charon walked up to me, his 10 foot frame towering over me, and then he touched the crown of my head and my world faded to black.

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**I hope you enjoyed Canto II. Well they're about to enter Hell proper. Please Review and feel free to PM me any questions you may have. Until next time readers.**


	3. Canto III

**Perseus Jackson's A Divine Comedy**

**Inferno**

**Canto III**

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_"Because your question searches for deep meaning,_

_I shall explain in simple words"_

-Dante Alighieri, _The Divine Comedy_

* * *

As I awoke from my forced slumber, I am unable to grasp just how much time had passed from Charon touching me. As I scanned my surroundings, still groggy from my sleep, I saw my guide Nico conversing with a skeleton. But as I looked a second time, the skeleton was gone and Nico was making his way over to me.

"Well Perseus, you made it across the abyssal Acheron onto the shores of Hell Proper. We are about to make our grand journey into the First Ring of Hell, what say you to this task?" he asked snobby, like I might reject my destiny or cry. But I held strong.

"Well Nico, I do believe it is time to step into the First Ring. Who resides in this first ring on the furthest outstretches of Hell Proper?" I ask.

"We are about to step into what is known as Limbo. It is where I and all the other Pagans, un-Baptized Christians, and followers of other beliefs reside. It is what the Ancient Greeks might refer to as the Asphodel Meadows, but the Greeks got it wrong, for we do not simply mill around here, we are fully conscious of what happened to us, what is happening to us, and will happen to us in the barren wasteland. This is our punishment for holding other Gods and Goddesses over the One True Lord, but in comparison to what you will see later, you must trust me, this wasteland is an oasis that you should cherish." Nico said, almost with malice laced with some other emotion I am not familiar with.

"I will heed your warning Nico. Where may I rest before I start my long and arduous journey to Satan?" I asked Nico, hoping to get a warm reception in this circle of Hell.

"Ah young Perseus, there are no safe places here; you are a man of the living amongst the dead, but I do know of someone, she would probably like to meet you before you run off into the deepest depths of Hell from which not even the Lord himself dares tread. She's right this way." Nico said, gesturing for me to follow him through the crowds of people dressed in grey.

I passed what had to be a hundred thousand people in the span of 2 miles, struggling to keep up with Nico as he sped across the Fields of Asphodel at a speed I had not traveled since the Revolution: Sprinting. We passed so many in gray robes, but whenever I was about to pass through them, they would move away from me like a sphere was keeping them from me. But I never could ask Nico why, even as after what felt like an eternity of running came to an end in what I assumed was the banks of the River Acheron on the other side of the First Gate. And that's when I noticed why this area was not like the others. Piled as high as my eyes could see were obsidian pillars that blazed with a green flame which danced up and down the jagged columns. And then I noticed the girl smiling at us.

She was very pretty, but not my kind of girl. She had the average Italian Black hair and tanned skin common in Rome, but what impressed me more was that she was easily taller than the average man and looked even more fierce than Nico. Did I mention she was wearing purple and not grey like everyone else here?

And if Nico had seen her before, his expression betrayed none of his hidden knowledge as he looked at her impassively, despite the girls obvious interest in our arrival.

She walked over to us with a certain amount of swagger in her steps, enough to intimidate me and captivate me in how she carried herself, for she carried herself better than most men did, even the Medici in their own courts could not compare. She looked regal, like a queen of the highest thrones, and she could not be much older than I. Her hard yet soft eyes locked onto Nico before she hugged my guide, and then measured me up.

Nico shot me a sly grin like he had been holding on to privy information before it took me a minute that this _girl_ was who had wanted to meet me. And me being, well, me, I of coursed messed up in a fashion I'm sure that even Satan got a laugh from.

"Uhm, you're a _girl_" I mumbled very intelligently, before I got a slap to the head and what I could swear were shakings of heads from my guardian angels in my head before i remembered my manners. "Oh sorry, my name is Perseus Jackson, and well, my lady," I bowed, which was met with a chorus of laughter from both Nico and the girl, which confounded me greatly. "Uhm, madame, why are you and Nico laughing?" I stuttered.

Nico shot me a glance that I was unfamiliar with, and then made a grand gesture to introduce the commanding woman who occupied my thoughts at the moment. "Why my young charge who I am entrusted with to guide through the depths of Hell, through Purgatory, and into Heaven, this woman was a Praetor of the 12th Legion Fulminata in Rome, a hero for all Romans, and the fiercest daughter of Bellona to make it both into the realm of the living and of the dead. Her name is…" Nico was cut off by this girls hand flying over his mouth, and after a whimper of retaliation, Nico gave up. She smiled, and brought her chin up a degree or so, making her look even more regal and imposing.

"Why young perseus, I am here to guide you into the Second Gate of Hell; I am the woman who holds the hand, in planned matrimony, of the young Prince of the Dead who guides you on your noble quest to find your beloved Annabeth, and I am going to serve as a second guide on your quest to gives us the number of three, a very safe and strong number that transcends faith and culture."

I grimaced a little, afraid to have this girl, no wait, woman, with me on my quest. But if Nic trusts her, perhaps I should as well. "I am honored to have you on my quest, but who are you?"

"I am who your most loyal guide says I am; while alive I was the Praetor of the 12th Legion of Rome, named Fulminata as we were armed with the strength of Jupiters own personal Lightening Bolt. I led Rome to victory against Carthage, and fought Hannibal myself in one on one combat. I was the first female Praetor, and am known in many different places as the Warrior Maiden." she said proudly, pushing her long black hair which was tied together in a braid behind her back and paced next to Nico and smiled at him dangerously. And he fidgeted.

Of all things we've encountered so far, she is the first to make my guide, the fearless warrior Nico DiAngelo, flinch.

"But you didn't answer my question. Who are you, because I only know of one Warrior Maiden, and you are not Joan de Arc. So who are you?" I asked, probably more forcefully than necessary.

"Oh but Percy" she said, absorbing the shock on my face as she called me a name I heard never as if we were old friends; "I am Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, and i will be joining you on your quest. Now follow me unless you wish to be stuck in the First Gate of Hell forever and never see your beloved again. For as long as you remain alive in Asphodel, you lose portions of your soul to the beast himself, Satan."

And with those encouraging words from Reyna, we made our way to the next gate.

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**I hope you liked me introducing Reyna into the story. Reyna will play a major roll in this story, and helped bring a trio together for this "quest"**

**Sorry about the long wait but I was at a Boy Scout Leadership Camp known as Foxfire, the highest level of leadership training there is in the Scouting program, as well as coming off an extended stay in Washington State. I hope to update more frequently before band really picks up.**

**Until then, please read and review.**

**-KingRichRock**


	4. Canto IV

**Perseus Jackson's A Divine Comedy**

**Inferno**

**Canto IV**

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**Heads up, super controversial chapter, but if you don't like it, don't read it. If you do, please do tell. It all serves a purpose. **

**This chapter and the last one mark the first of MANY variations from the original, and I hope they make it even more of an epic journey for you to enjoy.**

**So please read, review, and above all, enjoy.**

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"_Hell is yourself and the only redemption is when a person puts himself aside to feel deeply for another person._

Tennessee Williams

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I stared at her in disbelief, I did know her name. Bianca would never shut up about her after she found that book in the bottom of the church. It was in Latin, but I think it translated to something like _Heroes of the Republic_, and Reyna wasn't the only one in there. That's where she found out about Nico, about Julius Caesar (before he was Emperor), and of the men Cassius and Brutus who fought for the old ways of the Republic before they assassinated Caesar, and of how Marc Antony and Octavian overthrew all that was good and destroyed the Republic to start their tyrannical Empire. But I remember reading that book to her every night when we were little, and I remembered the tales of Reyna. The most fierce and intimidating warrior on any battlefield, she shaped the conquests against Carthage in the favor of the Republic. And she was Bianca's idol.

I felt a ping in my heart, a light stabbing that it was my fault little Bianca had died trying to be a hero in my own personal war, a failed Revolution in a selfish bid for power where I stood and did not act when the time came. I failed her and everything both she and I had believed in. Oh the guilt! How can she want me to succeed!? Perhaps this is a trick, but I am already here. I must push on, so i can apologize if I do nothing else on this quest. Apologize to all those that died in my war.

I looked up from my cavern of thoughts to realize Reyna and Nico were both staring at me, and I was unsure of how long I had been locked out of conversation. "Uhm sorry guys, I got lost in my old memories. What were we talking about?" I asked shakily, feeling the glare of their eyes on me.

"Well Percy, I do believe we have a journey to embark on, do we not. And you have a certain Bianca to apologize to." Reyna said sweetly, but there was a bite to her words I had never heard from anyone, and I'm not sure how to respond to it. Nico chuckles a little, but a glare from Reyna that I'm positive could have killed a lesser man shut him right up, and I looked up towards the sky.

But there was no sky, for we are under the Earth, and here in Asphodel we can see the gloomy gray sky that holds these lost spirits here in the limbo that they are trapped in. For they never bathed in the holy waters, they never believed in the Savior, or were just in the wrong time to die. It was with a heavy heart that I headed to the large black iron gates encased in the obsidian from above with my companions in tow. As we approached the gates, I saw that etched into them were gold; each bit of gold depicted scenes of death, from the Black Death to the Battle of Carthage to scenes I couldn't recognize: a twisted symbol on a blood red banner that hung above bodies that were stacked on top of each other, a mask with cylinders on the bottom and haze around it, and a large oval from the sky as a explosion adorned the area beneath it. But these were symbols unfamiliar to me, and my companions.

"Nico, what do these symbols mean, they are unlike anything I have ever seen." I said, scared for the first time since I had entered Hell. "They are scenes of death I feel, but some of these things I don't believe exist." I said shakily.

"Perseus, that is because they have not happened yet. Satan can see the future, just as God can, and has these prophetic scenes on here knowing someday soon they will occur and kill millions. My father said it is fate for these things to happen, and that on the gates of Heaven, dating back to when it was Elysium, there are engravings that depicted the age of Christianity and of the future where the next great age of faith occurs. these gates were forged at the beginning of time and are as old as creation. For now Perseus, you are about to truly enter Hell, where all sinners reside. And as it is above, it is below. You would be judged by St. peter upon your entry to Paradise, so here you are to be judged by a King of the days of old; one who is wicked and wise, and in this judgement he will lay down, I have no say. For he is the only judge on the court now, as the other judges, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus, have disappeared. And as my father transformed him into the serpent you will now meet, he has no love for me. You will be on your own for your judgement Perseus, and he could easily kill you now. Enter with a pure heart, and do not be afraid to own up to both your sins and other mistakes in their entirety, they are what will let you pass on safely. Reyna and I will watch from afar and join you when you have passed judgement. Good luck Perseus." Nico said, and I now felt a sense that this could be where my journey ends.

I nodded to Nico and Reyna, and they walked off to the distance; how they would get through, I had no idea, but I was certain that no living person could go with them, and I, by the loosest definition, was still alive. And with that cheery thought, I approached the black gate.

On it was the same inscription from when I first entered Hell at the surfacer with Nico, and for the first time, I realized only honesty and my personal drive could get me through this because, if I clung to hope, I would perish.

I stepped to the gates, and walked forward, and they opened with a loud creaking, and I realized the irony of these gates. They were 10,000 feet tall, easily, yet I was 6 feet tall: no human being could ever surpass these gates. _But then, why are they so high? _I thought to myself, and I felt a whisper in my ear of a voice I know yet could not place. "_Perseus, the Gates of Hell are not meant to merely kept sinners in, but to keep the true evil of this world trapped in the Inferno. Satan is the main reason these gates are both so strong and tall, for he could surpass them if he had anything but these, made from the same matter as he, to bind him to his realm." _the soft female voice said in head, and all of the sudden I felt like I blacked out. But I was still conscious as I saw a scene that could only have happened millennia before man was ever created.

* * *

_Before me were warriors in armor of the deepest blood red fighting warriors dressed in the purest of white. And in the army of black and red were the monsters of nightmares and the deepest parts of human imagination: the Monster Typhon, Apophis, the Titans, the Giants, and Cerberus. Fighting with the warriors clad in white were tall and powerful men and woman, wielding weapons of the Gods of Greece, Zeus with his bolt, Poseidon with his Trident, but also Gods of other faiths, and angels and satyrs, Ra, Horus, and all the mystical creatures and Gods of good from mythology and theology locked in a fierce battle to hold their respective ground. They fought in an area where there was a clear divide between the evil forces, etched in charred black ground, with lava, and on its opposite were the greenest grass and the most luscious trees and beautiful landscape. _

_And then I realized that this was the rebellion, and it was universal. Across all faiths this happened, and a little bit of the real story had been told each time. And then there was a tremendous roar that shook me to my core and made me feel like my body had turned to jelly. And then the great beast Satan appeared. _

_Easily 10,000 feet tall, and infinitely powerful, he had the body of a large serpent, but a humanoid physique with reptilian features and large wings that carried him across the battlefield so he would not crush his soldiers brought him to the line where the two sides were divided. But as quick as Satan moved, an equally tall man in white robes appeared, holding a large staff. He was to brilliantly bright to gaze upon, but I felt the power of hope strong emanating from him. And then Satan roared and attacked God. He attacked the God head on, but was swatted away like a fly._

_And while Satan pulled himself up, God, in a brilliant flash appeared above him, His foot on the reptiles chest, pinning it to the ground. And then God spoke in the tongue of the ancients but I knew what he said somehow. _

"_Dear brother, end this foolish crusade against good. Yes you came out of Chaos first, but Chaos felt I was the one fit to rule. You have hurt those that you took with you Lucifer, you've hurt those who stayed, and have nearly destroyed this world, the world we created together Lucifer. Please, end this brother, and we can rule together like the old days, together in Heaven, and we may leave these beasts of Chaos in the Underworld. We can save the children we created out of ourselves in our old image Lucifer. We can make the world safe for the humans and they can all go to Paradise, which we can rule together like in the olden days. I beg of you, do not make me kill you dear brother." God said, His voice quivering with emotion. And just when I thought Satan would attack him, the shell of the terrible lizard faded away, and a young man, who had to be Lucifer, appeared. _

_He had slicked back hair that was as dark as the shadows themselves, red eyes, and a pale complexion that made Nico as dark as the stones in the Underworld. And he stood to meet his brother, God, who had shrunken to human height and met him with open arms. But God was a young man, adorned in the purest linen robes to rival the pure black ones of his brother. And Lucifer spoke to God._

"_My dear brother Jehovah, I do believe this silly war has gone on for far long enough. But the humans will never be pure for remember, I corrupted Eve as the snake in the garden. They are capable of Sin, and can thus go into my domain of Hell brother dearest." Lucifer said with a polite snarl._

"_My brother, have you not learned, I forgive you, and I always will. We can end this war with a simple hug, and together we can banish these creatures of evil and chaos to the abyssal underEarth where they will never bother our greatest creations. Please embrace me brother, and end this feud" God, literally named Jehovah, said to His brother Lucifer, the Devil himself. _

_And Lucifer approached Jehovah, a smile on his face, and hugged his brother. But then it went all wrong as Lucifer took his spiked tail and stabbed it through the back of his brother, where his heart would be, and God fell to His knees, blood staining His robes and Lucifer roared triumphantly. _

_And in those fleeting seconds, I could swear I saw God look at me and say "Go young son, for you have a long journey ahead of you. Never give up hope, for it makes you human. And always forgive. Be as I have been for all my children, and come to meet me in Paradise Perseus, I believe in you." he said before the scene changed back to the gargantuan gates of Hell. _

* * *

I stood in awe at the Gates, now aware of just how large the creatures trapped here were, but this made me think: _What happened next? What happened to the triumphant Lucifer and the fallen Jehovah? This was never in the Bible, or any other story I ever read._

But I pushed these thoughts aside as I walked through the Gates, that had opened long ago as I was in the vision, and saw the Hall of Judgement. It was of solid Obsidian, with a deathly green fire burning inside a braziere for the occasion. And behind what I guess could have passed as the box for which we tried those having committed offenses to the state, where I had stood in Italy after the revolution, was a 60 foot high judges bench that I could barely see the top of. But I could feel an overwhelming presence as I approached the bench.

"Ah, young mister Perseus Jackson, I have awaited your arrival. Your ill fated revolution gave me many...delectable souls to enjoy, especially the innocent who sinned just enough to not reach purgatory. Their hearts were delicious."

That was the first thing the one and only judge of the Underworld said to me; I was scared. Anything, man, beast, or anything in between like Minos who enjoyed that level of sadistic pleasure was bad news.

"I feel your misgivings about me Perseus, but Mister DiAngelo wishes to lead you astray on your mission, for you will not succeed. Submit to Satan, and serve him. I will grant you passage if you will serve my master. Or else I will consume your soul upon the first lie you utter in my presence. Choose puny mortal!" He said, but the force of which he said it nearly knocked me over. And in my moment of indecision in which I seriously debated joining Satan, and not having to worry about being tried, I heard the same females voice from earlier.

"_Perseus, please do not give up hope, do not give up on your love, for which you are seeking to find and redeem before her. Do not let me have died in vain for you, and do not make the mistake of choosing the easy route Perseus. It will lead you astray, and your soul will be devoured forever by the beast that Satan is. Please, we await you in the Lords Kingdom." s_he finished, and I remembered every reason for why I had agreed to this trip, and there was really only two: _to confess my sins hereby cleansing my soul, and my dear Annabeth. _

"Minos you dare mislead me?!" I shouted, sounding a lot more confident than I felt. "I am a servant of God himself! I confess my sins before you and seek safe passage into the Second Circle of Hell so I may see my dearest Annabeth once more! I have left death and demise in my wake, i have disrupted a political system that was secure, killing thousands in a greedy attempt to become nobility, I was jealous, envious, and evil. But I am not like you. I took no pleasure in it, and I am not here to grovel at your scaly feet for your mercy to continue my noble quest, but to proclaim my sins before Satan so he may know I am not his, before you so you will grant me safe passage, and to God that I am sorry and that I seek His forgiveness. I demand safe passage from you for I have aired my grievances to the World. And if Annabeth and Bianca can here me, I love you both; Annabeth, my beloved, I am sorry you are dead for it is my fault, and I was not there for your final days, but I try to amend that now; and Bianca, I love you as my only sister, as you were as close as any family ever has been to me, and I will never forgive myself for your death, and I love you both. And to all those dead in my name, by my blade, or by my hate, I am sorry. God, forgive me for I am nothing but a sinner!" I screamed, and glared up the bench towards Minos, who was glaring at me.

He began to slither down the bench, stopping his dragon-like head at eye level with me, and snarled. He opened his mouth, I assume, to devour me, but a force blocked him, forcing back up the bench five feet, and he bellowed in rage.

"You above, you win this round! But you see he hesitated here before me, a lowly force of Chaotic Evil. He will meet worse than I, the master himself as well as the embodiment of chaos on his travels! His resolve will not hold! He will fail you and we will win!" He finished yelling towards the heavens, and turned to me, "Perseus Jackson, your heart is pure and the one above has protected you. For now. Leave my court as I have more pressing issues to attend. You may leave, but know if you are ever here again, you get no trial. i will devour you whole. Farewell Jackson, I hope to eat you soon." He snarled, and slithered back up the bench to where I could no longer see him.

To my side, a new set of gates opened, and I did not look back as I exited the Hall of judgement, and I felt hope surge through me for the first time since I saw Annabeth back above on the surface. _I CAN do this._

And after I walked for a long distance, perhaps a mile, maybe more, I came to a bridge, where I met Nico and Reyna. The bridge overlooked a lava filled trench a hundred feet wide, but Nico only smiled at me.

"Well, now the real fun may begin. Let us go meet those who died or lived by lust. Don't look too long, or you too will fall prey Perseus. Stay true to your mission. And follow me."

And looking at Nico before he turned around, I realized something:

_He doesn't seem all that much different than Lucifer did. He looks like him, acts like him, thinks like him._

_But I'll trust him. For now. _

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it. With band starting up again, I'm not sure how often I'll update, but depending on what the chapter is about will determine chapter length. Have a great time for those of you also on summer break. Please Review!**

**-KingRichRock**


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